Delivery drivers play an important role in ensuring consumers and businesses get the products and goods they order, since they are responsible for ensuring deliveries are picked up and dropped safely, accurately and on time.

Delivery drivers may take goods directly to consumers in their homes, or facilitate deliveries to a physical store or restaurant location. Drivers typically operate cars or delivery trucks and are often employed by corporations, food service companies or restaurants, or delivery service companies or warehouses. These organizations can be small, or they can be global brands such as Amazon or FedEx. 

If you’re applying for a delivery driver position, knowing how to structure your resume and what you should list and call out, including education, skills and objectives, can help your resume get noticed and selected and an interview scheduled. 

How to structure your delivery driver resume

When formatting your resume for a delivery driver position, you should include:

1. A summary/career objective

2. Education (if applicable)

3. Relevant work history, including the company, dates worked, and brief description of the duties performed

4. Relevant skills for the role

Note that most delivery driver positions don’t require formal education beyond a high school education or GED, so you likely don’t need to list that on your resume unless the job description lists a formal education requirement.

When creating your resume, you’ll want to carefully read the job description to ensure you include all relevant keywords, skills and experience that shows you are the best candidate. By tailoring your objective and resume to the job description, it’s more likely it will make it through any application tracking system software and to the desk of the hiring manager.

Delivery driver job description

Delivery drivers have a variety of duties, including delivering goods, that are important to the role. However, a driver’s primary role is to ensure packages, food or other goods are transported from a mail, warehouse or other facility to a personal or business address. 

Additionally, drivers are responsible for loading and unloading cargo, following all traffic and safety laws, meeting delivery deadlines, and tracking shipments and deliveries. 

Delivery driver roles can look different depending on the type of deliveries and company for which they work. Generally, the job description for a delivery driver can include duties such as:

• Communicate regularly with dispatchers to ensure an efficient pick up and delivery. 

• Obtain client or customer signatures or payments when necessary for a delivery. 

• Meet delivery deadlines. 

• Follow best practices for safety, including obeying all traffic laws, both while driving on the road and when loading or unloading goods. 

• Track shipments and deliveries to ensure delivery schedule is maintained. 

• Load and unload cargo, both at the shipping center and throughout your delivery route.

• Operate a smartphone and GPS technology without aid to ensure accurate deliveries. 

Delivery driver education

Some employers prefer delivery drivers to have a minimum of a high school diploma (or equivalent), but this could be waived if you have an excellent driving record and meet other requirements. 

What’s most important is you must have a valid driver’s license, clean driving record, and have additional licensing necessary such as a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). 

You may want to outline your education on your resume like the following:

Education

XYZ High School

City, State

High School Diploma

When listing your education, here are a few tips:

• Consider leaving off the years you attended or your graduation date. Typically, that’s not as important unless you’re still pursuing your degree. In that case, be clear your education is in progress. For example,

High school diploma; anticipated completion May, 2022

• List the order of your education with the highest level first. For example, if you have a Bachelor’s degree and high school diploma, list the Bachelor’s degree first, followed by your diploma. 

• If you have additional certifications or training, list them in their own section with the heading “Additional Certifications.” Include the organization that provided the certification, the title, and the date of completion or renewal. 

• If you have additional licenses that may be applicable, such as your CDL, list those in their own section with the heading “Licenses.” Be sure to include the title and date of completion or renewal. 

What to include on your resume for a delivery driver

Typically, a delivery driver resume will list the education or formal training you have that makes you most qualified for the role. 

Then, in the work experience section, you’ll want to include duties related to the job description, such as:

• Maintained a clean driving record; followed all DOT regulations, safety standards and traffic laws. 

• Followed different delivery driving routes and schedule times, and met delivery schedules X% of the time. 

• Maintained accurate delivery rates above X% for Y months. 

• Loaded, unloaded, prepared, inspected and operated a delivery vehicle. (You can be specific about the type of vehicle if applicable.)

• Made an average of X amount of deliveries each day in a safe, courteous and timely manner.

• Established and maintained positive relationships with customers. 

• Reviewed and verified invoices and purchase requests to ensure accuracy.

• Maintained delivery logs and records. 

The experience and skills you list should be relevant to the job you’re applying for. Try to go beyond simply listing duties you’ve performed, and instead show both duties and achievements with examples or numbers to support the statements. 

Delivery driver skills and traits for a resume

There are many skills and traits you could list on your resume for a delivery driver position. Here are a few to choose from to get you started:

• Communication skills

• Organization skills

• Interpersonal and customer service skills

• Familiarity with local streets, neighborhoods, and routes

• Responsible

• Reliable

• Ability to work well in a fast-paced environment

• Time management skills

• Knowledge of navigation technology

• Familiarity with traffic laws and safety regulations

• Multitasking skills

• Planning skills

Once you meet educational requirements and have the necessary license(s) and clean driving record, you can work to develop other soft skills such as organization, time management, and communication skills. This can be done through a variety of volunteer or paid positions or experiences. 

If you have previous driver experience, be sure to list it on your resume. If you don’t, you can still highlight experience and skills you may have that make you a great candidate for the position. Look at the experience (volunteer or employment) you have and determine which of the above skills were learned or improved upon, and list those on your resume.

Action verbs to include on a delivery driver resume

• Coordinated

• Communicated

• Delivered

• Invoiced

• Maintained

• Loaded/unloaded 

• Inspected

• Drove

• Packed

• Scheduled

• Tracked

• Verified 

• Operated

• Established

• Reviewed

• Followed 

Should I include references in my delivery driver resume?

Your resume is a professional representation of your career qualifications and skills that make you an ideal candidate. As a general rule, avoid including references in your resume unless they are specifically asked for. This is information that tends to distract hiring managers from the information you want them to see, and it can take up valuable space on the page. 

If references are requested, you can include them on your resume or as a separate document. Be sure to list the name, job title, company, email address and phone number for each reference. 

Delivery driver resume objectives

A career objective, also known as a resume objective or summary, is a brief statement toward the top of your resume that explains your professional goals and intentions for applying to a job. In 1 to 3 sentences, you should mention the job title, add a couple of key skills, and share what you’re hoping to achieve in the job.  

Correct Examples:

• Dedicated professional individual with X years of experience in ensuring accurate and timely delivery of goods to consumers seeking a delivery driver position with XYZ company. 

• Looking for a position of delivery driver for XYZ company in order to use knowledge of traffic laws, navigation and project management software, and time management skills to consistently meet delivery schedules and expectations.

• Detail oriented and organized professional with X years of experience looking for a position with XYZ company in order to provide accurate and timely pickups and deliveries and maintain positive customer relationships. 

Incorrect Examples:

• Responsible delivery driver with many years of experience. Interested in opening for a driver position at XYZ company. 

Listing skills and traits that make you an excellent candidate are important, and try to be specific about your expertise or other personality traits. Additionally, quantify your years of experience instead of saying things like “a lot” or “much.”

• Hard working delivery driver with experience loading and unloading goods and meeting deadlines.

This is another example where you should quantify your years of experience as a driver if possible. Additionally, build upon these traits and skills and list those that are most important and relevant to this role or company. Use this space to grab the attention of the hiring manager so they read your resume. 

• Seeking position as delivery driver for transportation division of XYZ company.

Listing the position and company in the resume objectives can be helpful details, but try to expand on this by calling out important traits, skills or experience you have that make you qualified for the role. Even if you don’t have prior experience as a driver, highlighting something that makes you a good candidate is important.